a 
THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 377 
were Mahometans, and lived at Emfras, I could not be bet- 
ter fituated, or more at my liberty and eafe, than there. 
AFTER having taken my leave of the king and the Ras, 
I paid the fame compliment to the Iteghe at Kofcam : I had 
not for feveral days been able to wait upon her, on account 
of the riots during the marriage, where the Ras required my 
attendance, and would admit of no excufe. That excellent 
princefs endeavoured much to diffuade me from leaving 
Gondar. She treated the intention of going to the fource 
of the Nile as a fantaftical foliy, unworthy of any man of 
fenfe or underftanding, and very earneftly advifed me to 
ftay under her protection at Kofcam, till I faw whether Ras 
Michael and the king would return, and then take the firft 
good opportunity of returning tomy own country through 
Tigre, the way that I came, before any evil fhould overtake 
me. 
Texcusrp myfelf the beft I could. It was not eafy to do 
at with any degree of conviction, to people utterly unlearn- 
ed, and who knew nothing of the prejudice of ages in fa- 
vour of the attempt I was engaged in. I therefore turned 
the difcourfe to profeflions of gratitude for benefits that I 
hhad every day received from her, and for the very great ho- 
nour that fhe then did me, when fhe condefcended to teftify 
her anxiety concerning the fate of a poor unknown travel- 
jer like me, who could not poffibly have any merit but 
what arofe from her own gracious and generous fentiments, 
and univerfal charity, that extended to every object 1n pro- 
portion as they were helplefs. “ See, fee, fays fhe, how 
every day of our life punifhes us with proofs of the per- 
verfenefs and contradiction of human nature; you are 
Vou. Til, 3B come 
